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Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Book Review: The Gilded Age

Author: Lucinda Gray

Publication Date: August 2, 2016

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. BYR

After growing up
on a farm in Virginia, Walthingham Hall in England seems like another world to
sixteen-year-old Katherine Randolph. Her new life, filled with the splendor of
upper-class England in the 1820s, is shattered when her brother mysteriously drowns.
Katherine is expected to observe the mourning customs and get on with her life,
but she can't accept that her brother's death was an accident.

A bitter poacher prowls the estate, and strange
visitors threaten the occupants of the house. There's a rumor, too, that a wild
animal stalks the woods of Walthingham. Can Katherine retain her sanity long
enough to find out the truth? Or will her brother's killer claim her life, too?

John frowns, and I know he isn’t fooled. But,
tapping his horse smartly with the reins, he does as I say. I am, after all,
the lady of Walthingham Hall.

“You won’t catch me going outside after dark
again,” one mutters. “Not now that the Beast of Walthingham has claimed
another.”

The
Beast of Walthingham preys on the wicked, they say…

Then I see the gaunt, dark figure watching me
silently from the other side of the rise.

For the month of October, I am trying to read
books that are either gothic themed or have a creepy storyline. This book had a
very gothic feel, but in the end fell short for me. The main character
Katherine, along with her brother, come into a huge fortune when a relative
suddenly passes away. When they move to Walthingham Hall they are impressed by
a lavish and grandiose lifestyle, far different from they have ever known, but
their lives are soon changed because of the mysterious and even fatal
occurrences that happen in and around the manor. The novel had all the
necessary elements to be a spooky, haunting read, but it lacked something that
I find very pivotal for a novel to be at the top of my shelf: characterization.

Katherine was not what I expected in a female
heroine. She was a very flat character and was not characterized very well. The
mystery fell flat for me as well. I had the “who-dun-it” figured out about
halfway through, and I was pretty disappointed when I realized there were not
going to be any more interesting twists and turns. The setting was absolutely
magical; the estate was gothic, creepy, and everything you hope an 19th
century manor would be. The story line sounds perfect for Halloween, but the
plot left me wanting more and left me unsatisfied by the end of the book.

About Me

My name is Chelsey and reading is my greatest passion! I read and review anything and everything that I find to be "charming."
I accept ARCs or already released books for review, and I'm also available to participate in any blog tours or book reveals too. If anything, please don't hesitate to email me any time for any reason at: charmingchelseys(at)gmail(dot)com